Alaska: "Prove you're fighting human trafficking" - Alaska Attorney General John J. Burns and other state attorneys general today called for information from Backpage.com on how it is attempting to remove advertising for sex trafficking, especially ads that could involve minors.

In a letter to the lawyers for Backpage.com’s online classified sites, the attorneys general say that Backpage.com claims it has strict policies to prevent illegal activity. Yet research has found hundreds of ads on Backpage.com’s regional sites that are clearly for illegal services.

“It does not require forensic training to understand that these advertisements are for prostitution,” the attorneys general wrote.

The letter says the hub for illegal sex ads is a magnet for those seeking to exploit minors and points to more than 50 cases, in 22 states, over three years, involving the trafficking or attempted trafficking of minors through Backpage.com. “These are only the stories that made it into the news; many more instances likely exist,” the attorneys general wrote. They also reminded Backpage.com of a 2010 request from nearly two dozen attorneys general asking that the adult services site be taken down.

Attorney General Burns said, “Kids aren’t capable, legally or otherwise, to consent to be sold for sex. And regardless of a prostitute’s age, it’s difficult to know whether the person advertised is being coerced.”

Richard Svobodny, Deputy Attorney General for the Department of Law added, “The only way for Backpage.com to completely stop child sex trafficking on its site is to take down adult services advertisements altogether and take aggressive steps to be sure such posts don’t appear elsewhere on the site. Traffickers who exploit runaways and other disadvantaged kids shouldn’t be provided with a tool that makes that process so much easier.”

There have been several articles in Alaska publications about girls being lured into Anchorage and then used as prostitutes.

Many state attorneys general believe that Backpage.com is attempting to minimize the impact of child sex trafficking because they fear it will turn attention to the company’s robust prostitution advertising business. While Backpage.com has ramped up its effort to screen some ads for minors, the attorneys general involved in today’s letter believe that “Backpage.com sets a minimal bar for content review in an effort to temper public condemnation, while ensuring that the revenue spigot provided by prostitution advertising remains intact.” - More...
Wednesday PM - August 31, 2011

Alaska Science:Lone wolf goes the distance By NED ROZELL - Somewhere in the rolling tundra east of Deadhorse, a lone wolf hunts. The 100-pound male will take anything it can catch, or find - a ptarmigan, a darting tundra rodent, a fish, the scraps of a carcass, or, if lucky, a moose calf or caribou. Hunger is a common companion, but the wolf somehow survived when his mate probably died of it last winter.

An Alaska wolf on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.
Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

That event may have triggered the lone wolf’s incredible summer journey from south of the Yukon River to the crumbling shores of the Beaufort Sea. The wolf has traveled about 1,500 miles in four months, according to biologist John Burch, who works for the National Park Service.

Burch has studied wolves and the things wolves eat since the mid-1990s at Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve and Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. Last November, he was part of a team that helicoptered to Copper Creek, a remote tributary of the clear-running Charley River. There, he tranquilized a healthy male wolf and fitted it with a satellite radio collar. The collar transmits GPS coordinates from the wolf every few days, which has allowed Burch to follow the wolf’s trans-Alaska trek this summer.

Burch would have preferred that the wolf remain near Yukon-Charley, 2.5 million acres where the Yukon flows into Alaska. The wolf’s collar is expensive and would give useful information about one of a dozen wolf packs that use the preserve as part of their home range. But the lone male is telling the biologists a different story about wolf behavior — what happens when a pack breaks up. - More...
Wednesday PM - August 31, 2011

Probably because I am not a teen-aged girl or an older woman who should know better.

Something about the only love worth “dieing for” is with an “undead” person who has porcelain skin who would probably get seriously beaten up in any typical Alaskan bar until he started making Bloody Marys out of the other patrons.

Oh yeah, and you really can’t “consummate” the relationship because then you’d be – well – undead too.

Whatever.

Far be it from me to mock the secret desires for “endless” love that has created a whole new industry judging from the pop culture book shelves. It seems like every new work of fiction has some sort of vampire “theme.” (I especially like the mash ups that merge Jane Eyre and vampires or zombies, that about covers it – chase scenes involving frothy mouthed horses pulling carriages through graveyards surrounded by flying bats).

Well, except for the Amish “romance” novels that are also springing up faster than you can bake a shoofly pie! What’s up with that? I can find true, bodice ripping, love in a community of “plain dress” bretheren? Get out of town (and off to Pennsylvania!)!

But , as usual, I digress. (mmm, shoofly pie, mmm)

So, why do I even care about vampires?

I’m so glad you asked!

I’m just following the number one rule of column writing.

Now, I’m sure that you think that “columnists” whether they are in print, on the internet or just shouting at each other on TV, have a noble role to play.
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Wednesday PM - August 31, 2011

Roadless Rule on Tongass managementBy
Buck Lindekugel - I found the concerns expressed by Sealaska’s Executive Vice President in last Sunday’s article, “USDA’s Sherman discusses forest transition in Juneau,” puzzling. Mr. Harris claims that the roadless rule prevents building roads to mining projects like the Niblack Mine on Prince of Wales Island. To borrow a phrase from Mark Twain, Mr. Harris’ “imperfectly informed” opinion is directly contradicted by the language of the Roadless Rule. Either he hasn’t read the rule, relied on mistaken legal theories, or just tried to lay it on a little thick for the media. - More...
Monday - August 29, 2011

Surprised about taxes??By
Charles Edwardson - I have to correct a letter of my own I wrote. I complained that we ran into cost overruns on a library the voters had not even decided we needed yet. In fact, we had not ever voted on if we needed a library -- I think we voted on where to put the darn thing. There was plenty of press, meetings,"friends" of the library round tables and then cleverly put on the ballot as an initiative on where to put it, not if we needed one. - More...
Monday - August 29, 2011

Remembering Bill BakerBy
Von Braschler - Your memories of Bill Baker as a Ketchikan character really touched me and was so very accurate. I worked at the Ketchikan Daily News along with my wife in the early Seventies and was a little afraid of old Bill Baker as the former newspaper rival of my publisher with whom he'd reportedly had street altercations. - More...
Monday - August 29, 2011

ApologyBy
Jennie Hill - About a year ago my niece Jaime King sent me a wonderful book full of pictures of her recent visit to Missouri where we had celebrated her marriage. Every time I look at the pictures in the book I am reminded of how great it was to see all those family members and friends. Now looking thru the book again I realize that I never sent a thank you or a call to tell her how much I love the book. - More...
Monday - August 29, 2011

Use More Helicopters By
Donald A. Moskowitz - On August 6, 2011 the U.S. lost 30 special forces troops, including 22 Navy SEALS in a helicopter shot down over Afghanistan. These people were the elite of our military who have trained for these missions over many years. - More...
Monday - August 29, 2011

RE: What Could Go Wrong?By
Ken Leland - Spot on, Mr. Johnson! The best example was the disaster on Fishery Management prior to statehood, which was spiraling into disaster. With statehood Alaska assumed control of fisheries and the industry ( which is one of the cornerstones of Alaska's economy) that has not only recovered, but expanded. - More...
Wednesday - August 24, 2011

What could go wrong?By
A. M. Johnson - Returning from an out of town trip and reading the Ketchikan Daily News issues during that absence, a sequence of items regarding Federal intrusion raise continued concern with the Federal Government agencies over-riding States Rights. - More...
Monday - August 22, 2011

Southeast Alaska WolvesBy
Butch Olmstead - The recent article in Sitnews about some of our environmental groups again attempting to classify our wolves here in Southeast Alaska as endangered is of concern to me. We all know that these wolves are here as a result of the availability of food. I have seen them swimming from the mainland of Alaska to our islands in search of food and new territory. If there is any difference at all in the specie it's because these wolves are hybrids, having bred with our domestic dogs on occasion. Our Alaskan Malamute and Siberian Husky dogs and others are very capable of survival in the wild and have inbred with these so called phony hybrid Alexander Archipelago wolves, rare indeed, what a crock. - More...
Friday - August 19, 2011

Economy, taxesBy
Angelo Martin - What are you folks surprised about? When the pulp mill announced they were closing, I was a borough Assembly member. They said utilities, rent taxes would go up. Your town is run by the city manager, the council is advised by him and the council abides by his advice. - More...
Friday - August 19, 2011

MV WickershamBy
Jack Kinney - The Wickersham was a Beautiful Lady of the Sea. I enjoyed being on the bridge and conversing with Captain Ken Florian. - More...
Friday - August 19, 2011

TSA By
Louise Clark - Yes, Patricia Burkman I realize we have wars going in several countries which by the way were never declared by Congress. As I understand our constitution gives only Congress the power to officially declare wars but just who is paying attention to our constitution any more? - More...
Friday - August 19, 2011

Thanks By
Marlene Steiner - I would like to say thank you to Chris Elliott for the comment on the Deer Mtn. Apts. Yes the Bawden Street will get painted. - More...
Friday - August 19, 2011

RE: QuestionBy
Rosemary Nelson - Regarding to Chris Elliott's question, my understanding of why the fire truck will accompany the ambulance is so that there is extra personnel to help if need be. - More...
Friday - August 19, 2011

Spending and Taxes By
Samuel Bergeron - Chas Edwardson is right about our debt load; it's too high. We as a community need to keep in mind what we are doing as a whole; spending and borrowing at an alarming rate. We are losing population and yet we are building a fire station that is the same size as Fairbanks, Alaska, a city with 5 times the population as Ketchikan. We are putting a $700,000 piling and grade beam foundation under the new library because the site is not suitable for a conventional concrete footing foundation as planned. We are building a pool that is slated to cost 23 million dollars. All the while the City is contending because of our spending spree they want to increase our taxes to cover the cost of our debt load. We are facing increases in our water and electrical rates to boot. - More...
Tuesday - August 16, 2011

Fire Response TimeBy
Chris Elliott - Dawn Luna says the reason she got most often for putting the fire station in the middle of town was to increase response time. I can only say, this isn't Chicago. This isn't even Juneau. I kid my friends who live on S. Point Higgins that it's like a trip to Peru for me to drive from my home near the high school. I have to pack snacks, schedule rest stops, etc. In reality, it takes me about 15-20 minutes to drive to S. Point Higgins. - More...
Tuesday - August 16, 2011

TSABy
Patricia Burkman - Every time I hear a complaint about TSA, these people don't realize we are at war! You and I feel we should be exempt from being searched or be allowed that bottle of water because we know we would never harm anyone -- but how are the TSA to know? How are they? Our enemies will use any means to kill us and we can tell them how very easily by saying: We exempt people who are ___ (fill in the blank). How easy it would be for our enemies to send in a bomb or worse yet a chemical that will travel throughout the US by insuring that it is on a person that fit the exemption. And while it is unfortunate that millions of innocent people are inconvienced and sometimes embarassed we do it because that's what you have to do when war has been declared. And war was declared on us. - More...
Tuesday - August 16, 2011

Ketchikan RoadsBy
Harry Howard - I would like to express my extreme displeasure and disappointment in which ever government entity should be using our tax dollars to maintain the roadways on this island. I have lived in Ketchikan for only 3 years, but I have seen some roads get completely ignored and some get paved, repaved, and repaved again. I really can't make heads or tails of how the road maintenance is ranked with importance. I originally thought it was tourist based, but looking at what gets paved, that is wrong. - More...
Monday - August 15, 2011

What a surprise" Let's raise taxes! By
Charles Edwardson- A public library that was running into cost overruns even before the voters decided we needed one, a fire station with a blank check, a pool, a recreation center roof vetoed in the capital budget but tore the roof off any way, deferred maintenance year after year of our basic infrastructure (actually should be the priority of a city government) to enable us to pay the bond issue debt load -- it goes on and on. The reckless fiscal decisions the City of Ketchikan has made is now catching up with us. And the only thing our city manager - who lead us into many of these ill advised financial decisions - can come up with is (golly ge wiz ) I think you all might have to raise taxes. The others who sit on the council supposedly guiding our city, can only come up with... hey let's sell the only profitable thing we got going (phone division). - More...
Monday - August 15, 2011

New City of Ketchikan Fire StationBy
Dawn Luna - I to had wondered why they chose to put the new Ketchikan fire station there. I wondered why they hadn't decided to put the new library there instead and the new fire station up on the hill. The response I got the most was, response time to an emergency call, especially in the winter time. So I sit and ponder Chris Elliott's letter and think to myself, how will the response time be during tourist season? I get a picture in my mind of complete chaos, tourist running everywhere, cars backed up, tourist vehicles trying to find room to pull over to let the emergency response vehicles by (especially the Amphibious Duck Tour Vehicles), and the firetrucks still trying to fight their way through the tourist season traffic. - More...
Monday - August 15, 2011

Blame?By
Joey Garcia - I have expressed and admired KPU's Technician group. These people have relentlessly serviced callers even in the rain and late in the evenings. I fully admire their job performance. - More...
Monday - August 15, 2011

Fiscal guideBy A.M. Johnson - With the recent Congressional vote to increase our National Debt Limit and the appointment of a "Super Committee" consisting of six Senators and six Representatives to address a trifling cut of one and half Trillion dollars from a now, 17 Trillion debt limit, the following five sentences, sent to each of our Alaska Congressional representatives, have a profound impact. - More...
Thursday - August 11, 2011

Boat dead in the water!By
Kenneth G. Reese - On August 9th a friend & I had a trip to Yes Bay planned to subsistence fish for sockeye salmon. We prepared the day before. We had all our gear ready toped off the fuel tank and planed to leave Knudsen Cove by 9:30 am. We got off to a good start beautiful day, but by the time we reached southern Neets Bay the motor died?? WE soon found out that our gas was siphoned the night before!! So here we are sitting drifting. What to do?? - More...
Thursday - August 11, 2011

Deer Mt. Apts.By
Chris Elliott - Kudos to the owners of the Deer Mountain Apartments for the paint job. Just finish up the Bawden Street side, and your building will be beautiful. - More...
Thursday - August 11, 2011

Customer ServiceBy
Robert Fruehan - Over the years it seems that i have had my fair share of situations in which I felt I or a member of my family was treated with less than professional courtesy by Alaska Airlines' representatives whether they be Stewardesses or people at the gate. With that being said, there are many of them who are super great but the fact is, you remember the ones who treat you poorly far easier than the latter. - More...
Thursday - August 11, 2011

Art Bailly's Letter on TSA By Charlotee Tanner - I agree with everything Mr. Bailly has to say, and also would like to point out to Mr. Bailly that TSA's authority extends to Ferry systems, Railways, and the Highway system. I read recently they were discussing exercising this authority in those areas in the near future. - More...
Thursday - August 11, 2011

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